HABITAT RELATIONSHIPS AND SURVIVORSHIP OF TREE SEEDLINGS IN HEMLOCK - HARDWOOD FOREST

Environmental variables were measured around different aged individual seedlings of Acer rubrum, Acer saccharum, Betula lutea, Prunus serotina and Tsuga canadensis. Seedlings of A. rubrum and T. canadensis occupied habitats with more coniferous litter than seedlings of A. saccharum and P. serotina. Different aged seedlings of A. rubrum generally were found in similar habitats, but these microhabitats were different from randomly located samples. Younger seedlings of T. canadensis occupied habitats with significantly shallower litter layers and more coniferous litter than older seedlings and random points. Initially, A. rubrum had a higher mortality rate than B. lutea. For both species, survivorship was significantly greater in habitats with shallower litter and less woody debris. These differences disappeared later in the growing season. Results imply that seedlings occur in different microhabitats, that habitat differences occur for different aged seedlings, and that microhabitat does initially affect seedlings survival. -from Author